The Harsh Impact of Reality
by Ginny3
Summary: Post Ep for Impact Winter. The long plane home on Air Force One.


The Harsh Impact of Reality

By Ginny

"Milly!" Abbey Bartlet called in a voice only half as desperate as she felt. Milly turned in time to see Jed Bartlet on the verge of passing out in a room full of people.

"Everybody OUT," Milly yelled as she looked around for Curtis. At well over 6 feet tall, the young man was not hard to find. "Get the flight surgeon and make there's an agent at the door. Only you and Dennis get back in here," she said firmly as she turned her attend back towards the man slumped in the wheelchair. She pulled off Jed's tie while Abbey unbuttoned his shirt. He was soaked through with sweat and pretty much incoherent at the moment.

"What happened?" Dennis called out a minute later as he flew into the room with Curtis close on his heels. Curtis was so intent on checking up on his new boss that he forgot to close the door behind him. Nobody else noticed it was open except for Jed. In his half conscious state he nudged his chin towards the hallway. Abbey stepped aside and closed the door, just as a crowd was starting to gather. When she turned back towards her husband she saw him completely slump over unconscious. She stifled a scream and was held back by Milly's hand on her arm. Dennis waved Curtis over and the two of them quite easily picked up Jed Bartlet and deposited him rather unceremoniously on the bed. Dennis turned around and took the black bag Milly was holding out for him. He tossed it on the bed next to Jed's legs and hunted around for a second for the smelling salts. They turned out to be unnecessary as Jed started to come around. Abbey broke from Milly's hold and knelt down next to her husband.

"Abbey," Jed mouthed as he opened his eyes just enough to realize where he was.

"I'm here honey," she assured him as she brushed the hair off his damp forehead. The heat radiating off of him startled her. "Dennis, hand me the thermometer," she said, never taking her eyes off Jed.

"No," Jed whispered. "Please," he begged. It took Abbey a few seconds to realize what he was trying to say. "Let them do it," he pleaded as he glanced from Milly, to Dennis and back to Milly again. He didn't want Abbey to treat him. He wanted her to be the wife, not the doctor. Those two roles had been blurred for ten years, ever since he'd been handed the diagnosis of MS. 

"OK," Abbey whispered as she kissed his forehead. "I love you," she mouthed as she stepped away.

"Get a temp."

"Get his jacket and shirt off."

"Turn on the overhead light so we can see what's going on."

"What's his pulse?"

"Jed can you move your feet?"

"Leave me the hell alone."

"Mr. President, open your eyes. How's your vision?"

"Jed, hold still."

"Curtis, get over here."

"Should we take off?"

"Someone get him a pair of pajamas."

Abbey retreated into the chair in the far corner of the room and watched as the room turned into medical mayhem before her eyes.

"Temp's 102.1," Milly announced as she glanced at the readout and handed the thermometer to whoever was standing behind her. Curtis tentatively took the instrument from her and set it on the table. He took half a step back, feeling rather unsure of his role at the moment. Three weeks earlier he'd been quite happily working in the mailroom of the White House, now he was on Air Force One, standing next to a barely conscious Josiah Bartlet. 

"What the hell is going on?" Dennis muttered, more to himself than anyone else. He grabbed the otoscope and took a quick look in Jed's ears. They were completely normal, no sign of an infection which would raise his temperature. Milly held out her hand for the light.

"Jed, open up a little," she said as she tapped lightly on his chin. Dennis handed her a tongue depressor and Jed opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue. "Throat's pretty red and swollen. That might account for the fever," Milly muttered as she took another look. "He's also pretty dehydrated; we need to get some fluids started."

"No fluids, they just make me have to piss," Jed mumbled without opening his eyes.

"He was complaining about the tea," Curtis said timidly. Both Dennis and Milly gave him a look that told him to start talking. "He didn't want to drink anything because...well...using the restroom was quite the ordeal, being in the wheelchair and all."

"So he decided not to drink anything?" Abbey asked from across the room. She started to rise from her chair and cross the room to presumably give her husband a piece of her mind but a little shake of the head from Milly sent her back to her seat. Deep down she knew that yelling at Jed would serve little purpose.

"Not the smartest thing you could have done," Milly chided as she picked up his arm to get a blood pressure reading. Jed just snorted and glared at her a little. "90/50," Milly announced as she pulled the Velcro on the blood pressure cuff loose and handed it and the stethoscope to Curtis. "Pulse is rapid and weak and let's just call his breathing "too fast" for my comfort," Milly said with an edge to her voice, the same one Abbey was doing her best to avoid using.

"OK, everyone just take a deep breath," Dennis suggested. The room drew a collective breath and took a few seconds to compose themselves. "Milly, go get some Tylenol, an IV kit and some fluids. Might as well hang another dose of steroids while we're at it. Certainly won't hurt." At the mention of more steroids, Jed's eyes shot open and a protest formed on his lips. "Don't even bother arguing Mr. President," Dennis said firmly as Milly stood up. "See what we have in the way of antibiotics too, there's some sort of infection brewing."

"Damn, what else can you hang from a single IV?" Jed mumbled loud enough for all to hear.

"Honestly Jed, could you just knock it off?" Abbey asked, her silence finally giving way to the frustration she was feeling. She walked across the room as Dennis and Curtis stepped out of her way. "Stop being so damn stubborn. You're hurting yourself, do you get that?" she all but yelled as she stood over him with her arms crossed. Dennis and Curtis shared an uneasy look and decided to leave the first couple alone for a few minutes.

"So how're you enjoying your first trip on Air Force One?" Dennis asked Curtis as the door closed behind them. Curtis just chuckled and shook his head.

"It certainly hasn't been boring," he admitted with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Why don't you take a few minutes, maybe get something to eat or drink," Dennis suggested. "I think this is going to be a long, long flight home."

"Yeah, especially if we don't get off the ground," Curtis muttered as he pointed out the window.

"Good point. Let me talk to Milly and Mrs. Bartlet, see about getting this plane off the ground. See if you can find some Gatorade for the President while you're in the galley."

"Yes sir," Curtis said as he turned to leave.

"You don't have to call me sir," Dennis muttered but Curtis was already around the corner.

----------

Ten minutes later Abbey walked out of the infirmary. She'd talked some sense into her husband, helped him into a pair of pajamas and calmed him down a little. Her own hair had been brushed and her clothes smoothed down, she was pulled together and ready to face CJ, Toby and Kate. "Can I tell Col. Gantry to take off?" she asked Dennis who was rising out of his seat.

"Yes ma'am. There's nothing we can do on the ground that we can't do in the air at this point," Dennis answered.

"Milly's in there with him. I'll be back in a while. I'm sure I need to explain some things to a few people."

"Yes, ma'am," Dennis repeated as he dipped his chin slightly as Abbey took off towards the back of the plane.

"No, you're not doing it," Jed protested as Milly unwrapped the IV kit and reached for a pair of gloves. Milly let out a frustrated breath and plastered on a fake smile.

"Fine. Dennis you're on," she said as she stood up from her chair and handed the slightly confused flight surgeon a pair of latex gloves.

"Great. Mrs. Bartlet just went to tell the cockpit to take off so I think I have about a minute and a half to get this in before we're in the middle of takeoff." As he sat down on the edge of the bed the engines roared to life. "Hold his arm down," he said to Milly. "I've got one chance to get this in before we start to taxi down the runway." With practiced ease Dennis slid the needle into a vein. Milly handed him a few pieces of tape and he tape down the loop of tubing as the pilot announced their take off and asked everyone to take their seats. Dennis secured Jed to the bed and took his seat as the plane started to move.

When the plane leveled off and the seatbelt sign was turned off Curtis made his way back to the infirmary with two bottles of Gatorade in his hand. Being new on the job he wasn't exactly familiar with the preferences of his new boss, so he had grabbed a bottle of orange and a bottle of Glacier Freeze which was a rather unappetizing looking shade of blue. He took a deep breath, nodded towards the agent outside the door and went back in to the infirmary. He entered the room tentatively still feeling very out of place despite having "bonded" with Jed Bartlet in ways he hadn't exactly imagined when he took the job three weeks earlier. The feeling of tension which had been in the room half an hour earlier had dissipated a bit. Dennis was sitting at the table making notes on a pad of paper, Milly was sitting and looking out the window and in the bed Jed Bartlet was dozing lightly. He opened his eyes at the sound of the door closing behind Curtis.

"Sorry sir, I didn't mean to wake you," Curtis apologized as he put the Gatorade down on the table and pulled a chair closer to the bed before sitting. "Blue or orange?" he asked as he pointed towards the bottles.

"Neither," Jed snorted. The sound of Milly clearing her throat in a warning manner had Jed changing his mind rather quickly. "Blue."

Curtis twisted off the top and produced a straw out of his shirt pocket. He handed Jed the bottle and sat back in his chair. He picked up the newspaper and pretended to read while his boss took a few tentative sips. "You know son, you don't have to hover over me," Jed teased. Curtis instantly turned red and started to stammer out an apology. "Calm down, Curtis," Jed said with a wink. "Here take this," he said as he held out the Gatorade bottle. Curtis set it down, glancing at Milly as he did. She looked up to take note that her patient had only had a few sips but she didn't bother nagging him about it. With the IV in he didn't have a choice about taking in fluids. "Why don't you go get something to eat," Jed suggested.

"Thank you sir. I just grabbed something a few minutes ago."

"Oh. OK, good," Jed muttered.

"Sir, if you want me to leave just ask," Curtis said with a smile.

"Fine. Stop hovering. There were some cute reporters, go hang out with them," Jed teased as he waved off his body man.

"Yes, sir," Curtis replied as he headed out of the room with an audible sigh of relief.

"You can go too," Jed said to Dennis who, like Curtis, seemed relieved at having been dismissed.

"Don't even think of kicking me out too," Milly said from her seat. "You're not being left alone," she warned as she got up and took the seat Curtis had vacated.

"Where's Abbey?"

"I think she's talking to CJ and Toby. Do you want me to go find her?" Milly offered as she reached to grab the ear thermometer.

"No. I'm sure she'll be back soon," Jed muttered as he turned his head a little giving Milly access to his left ear. 

"101.8. Down a little. A very little," clarified Milly. She took a deep breath to lay into Jed for letting himself get so dehydrated and run down when something in his eyes made her stop. "You doing ok?" she asked as she brushed back his hair and put a cool, damp cloth on his forehead. Jed just shrugged his shoulders a little, not quite trusting himself to talk without completely and utterly breaking down. At the sound of someone opening the door he closed his eyes and faked being asleep so he wouldn't have to talk.

"He's asleep?" Abbey asked, with more than a hint of surprise. Milly just shook her head.

"I know you just ratted me out, Dr. Griffith," Jed muttered as he opened his eyes.

"Oh well," Milly shot over her shoulder as she left Jed and Abbey alone.

----------

"Did we push him too hard?"

"We should have turned the plane around 4 days ago."

"Did you call Leo back?"

"Is this the end?"

"What brought this attack on?"

"Dammit!"

"How could we not have seen this coming?"

"I need another drink."

"Haven't you had enough?"

"Shut up."

"Both of you knock it off."

Comments flew by fast and furious as CJ, Toby and Kate were holed up in a conference room on Air Force One. Toby sat with his feet on the table, a glass of Jack Daniels in his hand. CJ was curled up on an overstuffed chair in the corner while Kate sat at the head of the table. All were battling with their varied emotions, from fear, to disbelief, to sadness, frustration and even anger. It was in the middle of their ranting and uncertainty that Milly found them.

"Hi," she said as she casually came into the room, taking the seat across from Toby who tipped his glass towards her in a silent greeting. "Any more of that?"

"Nope," Toby muttered as he tipped he head back and drained the glass.

"Well, it seemed like you three were having a very lively conversation a minute ago," Milly said, trying to gauge if she could be of any help to them as they struggled with their mixed emotions.

"What were you lurking out there and listening in?" Toby snorted. CJ got up out of her seat, crossed the room and smacked Toby on the back of his head.

"What the hell?" he asked as he rubbed the back of his bald head. CJ just glared and collapsed in the seat next to him.

"Did Abbey come and talk to the three of you?" Milly asked.

"She did. But she was a little..." Toby started and stopped when he wasn't quite sure how to put things into words.

"Defensive, is the word I think Toby's looking for," Kate supplied. It was clear she was trying to play the role of the level headed one in the group.

"She's frustrated and she's scared. Cut her a break," Milly said pointedly.

"Yes ma'am," three voices answered.

"For the love of God, stop calling me ma'am," Milly said with an exaggerated sigh. Her tone brought a little laugh and smiles to everyone in the room. "Do you need me to explain things to you again?" All three nodded and leaned a little closer, ready to give her their full attention. "The President's biggest problem right now is that he's very dehydrated."

"Dehydrated?" Toby asked. "We were in Beijing, not the Sahara. How the hell did that happen?"

"Believe me, Abbey, Dennis and I are wondering that too," Milly replied with a small grin.

"Nothing in...nothing out," Kate mused more to herself than the rest of the room.

"Exactly," Milly confirmed. "Being confined to the wheelchair makes certain everyday tasks seem a bit monumental," Milly said without elaboration. Looks of understanding came across Toby and CJ's faces.

"Ah," Toby eventually muttered.

"In addition to being dehydrated, he probably has some kind of throat infection with an accompanying fever and oh yeah, he still can't feel his legs. And let's not forget he's exhausted and is about to be hyped up on steroids again. It's going to be very long flight home."

"And what kind of shape do you expect he'll be in when we do land at Andrews?" Toby asked as he slid his empty glass back and forth on the table from one hand to the other.

"I honestly have no idea. Theoretically he could be ready to walk off the plane."

"But you don't think that's very likely?" Kate pressed.

"No. Even if he has enough sensation in his legs to walk he's been off his feet for days. I don't think his first feat will be to walk down the steep stairs of this aircraft. We're hoping he sleeps for most of the flight and when we land the plan we have, and by we, I mean Abbey, Dennis and I, is for him to go to Bethesda for a few tests."

"And realistically?" CJ asks with a sigh.

"He'll sleep for a while. Wake up, complain, yell and we'll end up sedating him for the rest of the flight. He'll argue about going for tests and then Abbey will have to lay down the law," Milly said with a smirk.

"Yeah, it's gonna be a long, long flight," Toby muttered as he got up to find more liquor.

"You'll keep us up to date?" CJ asked as Milly got up to leave.

"I will," she promised as she left the room.

----------

"Jed you need to sleep," Abbey said as she turned out the overhead light and sat down on the bed next to her husband.

"Not tired," he muttered. Abbey gave a very unladylike snort as she watched Jed squirm uncomfortably on the bed. She adjusted the covers a little and brushed back his hair until he waved off her efforts. "Can't I just be left alone?" he whined as he scrub his hand over his eyes.

"I'll sit on the other side of the room and I won't talk to you, but no, I'm not leaving you alone in here."

"Why not, where the hell am I going to go?" Jed muttered as he pushed the sheet back down again.

"Just because you can't leave the room doesn't mean you can't get yourself in trouble," Abbey shot back with frustration coming through loud and clear in her voice.

"Ah, I was wondering when we were going to revisit my little episode in the hotel bathroom," yelled Jed.

"Stop screaming, you're disturbing the rest of the passengers."

"It's my plane and I'll yell if I want too." Abbey just rolled her eyes as she got up out of the chair and started to pace around. "And I would have been fine if you hadn't come in and moved the chair."

"The wheels weren't locked. You could have fallen."

"I DID FALL, ABIGAIL, THANKS TO YOU," Jed yelled again. Fueled by anger and pure adrenaline he attempted to sit up on his own only to end up falling over, slumped in such as way that he couldn't easily right himself again. Abbey stood on the other side of the room, giving him a minute or so to try to help himself up. When it was clear he would rather remain slumped over in what had to be a very uncomfortable position than ask for help, she walked over and silently gave him a hand. "I can't do this," he whined bitterly as he turned on his side so he was facing away from Abbey.

"Do what Jed?" she asked, not really knowing what he was referring to as there were many, many things he couldn't "do" at that moment.

"Anything. Walk, sit up, take a piss on my own. Shall I continue?" he snorted.

"No," whispered Abbey as she leaned over a little, putting her left hand on the other side of Jed. She dropped her head to his shoulder. Once again Jed shrugged off the contact and she reluctantly sat up.

"Just leave me alone, please," he begged with a sob.

"OK," Abbey agreed. "But I'm sending someone in to sit with you." Jed nodded his acceptance but said nothing. Abbey left silently without giving him even a quick kiss on the cheek. She managed to hold in her tears until she got out of the room. She collapsed in the nearest chair sobbing. An agent appeared out of nowhere with a bottle of water and a handful of tissues which she took with a grateful look in her eyes. After pulling herself together she looked up to see Milly and Dennis coming towards her.

"You ok?" Milly asked as she took the seat next to her friend.

"At this point, I don't even know," Abbey sighed. "He kicked me out of the room. Someone needs to go in there with him. Any takers?" she asked with just the hint of a smile as she glanced from Milly, to Dennis and back again.

"I'll go," Milly volunteered. 

"Thanks. And good luck," Abbey said with a weak smile.

"You need to get some rest yourself ma'am," Dennis said to Abbey.

"I'm going to the bedroom now. Wake me if there's any change."

----------

"What happened, you lose the coin toss?" Jed smirked as Milly entered the room.

"No, I volunteered actually," she replied as she kicked her shoes into the corner of the room. She stood over Jed's bed for a minute until he nodded for her to take a seat. She took a seat in the chair, propping her feet up on the bed. "You need to sleep."

"Yeah, that's been pointed out to me by numerous people recently," Jed spit out. Milly just glared at him to "knock it off". She reached behind her to grab her black bag off the table. Without a word from her, Jed pulled his arm out from under the sheet so she could take his blood pressure.

"95/60, better than it was," she said, more to herself than to Jed. She reached for his wrist and then realized she had taken off her watch when she's changed into jeans and a sweater. She pulled his watch off the bedside table. "Still a little fast."

"How the hell can it be fast?" Jed muttered. "I'm not doing anything."

"From being dehydrated."

"Oh," was Jed's only reaction.

"OK, give me the head to toe situation," Milly said as she picked up the notepad Dennis had left behind. She jotted down Jed's vitals while he got his thoughts and complaints in order.

"You really want head to toe?" Jed smirked. Milly just glared at him to start talking.

"Headache, sore throat. And by the way, where did THAT come from?" Jed asked as he pointed to his throat.

"The steroids lowered your resistance to infection. You could have picked up something in China or on the plane, anywhere really. The antibiotics and Tylenol should help," Milly said as she pointed towards the IV bag. "What else is going on?"

"Left hand is fine, right one feels a little numb again," Jed admitted with a sigh. Milly put down the pad and pen to pick up his right hand.

"Can you feel this?" she asked as she pressed against the back of his hand. Jed shook his head. "This?" she asked as she moved her fingers to his wrist.

"A little, I guess," Jed said quietly.

"OK," Milly said as she put his hand back on the bed beside him, straightening out his fingers so they wouldn't cramp up. She made a few notes and turned her attention back to her patient, waiting for him to continue.

"A little queasy. My legs are still pretty numb. Don't think I'll be walking anytime soon."

"OK," Milly replied as she patted his knee. She took a deep breath and tried to think of the best way to phrase her next question. "Uh, Jed in your little description you jumped from you stomach feeling queasy to telling me about your legs. Anything, uh, in between you want to discuss. With me or I...I can get Dennis or Abbey if you want," Milly stuttered around a little.

"A little curious as to how much Curtis and I have bonded over the past 4 days?" Jed asked, fully planning on making Milly as uncomfortable as possible.

"Yeah," Milly said as she felt her cheeks turn red.

"He propped me up from behind, if you must know. Had enough strength to stand with help and enough strength in one hand at all times to...you know...handle everything."

"Plus since you didn't exactly drink much you didn't have to go all that often."

"Nothing in, nothing out."

"Not exactly the best theory you could have gone with."

"I know that now," Jed said quietly.

"Good. So..."

"So I have to take a piss, if that's what you're asking," Jed snickered.

"Fine. We have a couple of options. Take your pick. I can find Curtis and the two of you can bond again or I can send someone in with a bedpan. Or there's always option C."

"C?" Jed asked not quite realizing where the conversation was headed. "Oh no, no way," he said firmly as he realized what "option C" was. "There's no way in hell you're sticking something up my..." Milly cut him off with a hand across his mouth. Both dissolved into laughter at the very thought of her doing that.

"I wasn't volunteering to do it myself," Milly assured him. "Jed, seriously though..."

"Yeah, seriously I've been worried about having what would amount to a very embarrassing moment for quite a while now. I suppose I'm sort of living on borrowed time when it comes to that."

"I would think so."

"Talk to me like a doctor, not my friend," Jed said softly.

"The feeling in your legs is taking a long time to come back, the longer it takes the more you run the risk of...of having an embarrassing moment. You are also in great need of some sleep. Some real sleep, like 12 straight hours probably won't begin to put a dent in what you need. The amount of fluids we plan on running in will make you have to use the bathroom every half hour or so. You can't sleep if you're up that often. If we put in a catheter you'll be able to relax."

"How relaxing can that be?" Jed snorted.

"Once it's in you won't feel it. Honestly, you probably won't feel that much when we do put it in."

"Who can do it?" asked Jed as he rolled over from his back onto his side to face Milly. She could tell he was warming up to the idea...slightly.

"Me, Abbey or Dennis, take your pick." 

Jed took a deep breath and weighed the options in his head. "Can you give me something to help me relax?"

"Certainly. We can start with a little Compazine, that'll settle your stomach and calm you down a little. If that doesn't work you can take a sleeping pill. And there's always some other sedation options, but they might involve you making a call to Bob Russell." Jed took a few shaky breaths, deep down he knew what the right decision was. But he felt like that decision was just one more step towards the inevitable, the time when he wouldn't be able to take care of himself. "Jed, it's only for a little while. After you've slept for a few hours, and if the numbness hasn't gotten worse we'll take it out. Nobody will know," Milly assured him as she wiped away the little tears of frustration pooling at the corners of his eyes. Jed nodded.

"Send Abbey in, tell her she's the lucky winner of the "let's keep Jed Bartlet from pissing in his pants" game," Jed said with a snort. Milly just shook her head at him and kissed his forehead.

"I'll be back later."

"Don't threaten me," Jed shot back as she opened the door.

----------

Milly found Abbey in the family cabin flipping through a magazine, not really reading it. "Hey, he's asking for you."

"He's asking for me? He just kicked me out a few minutes ago," Abbey sighed wearily.

"We had a little chat about how he needs to get some sleep and how that's kind of hard to do if he needs to get up every half hour to use the bathroom. I got him to agree to a catheter and some Compazine. He'd like you to do the honors."

"Me? An hour ago he didn't want me to be the doctor; he wanted me to be the wife."

"Abbey," Milly said firmly, wanting her friend to stop being pissy for a minute and just do what she needed to do.

"Sorry," Abbey sighed.

"It's ok. I understand. Everybody is frustrated and tired, most of all Jed."

"So let's see what we can do about getting him settled down. Why don't you grab some supplies and I'll meet you in there."

"OK," Milly replied.

"Milly," Abbey called as she headed for the bathroom. Milly glanced over her shoulder. "Thank you, for everything. I'm not sure what we would have done without you on this trip."

"That's what friends are for," Milly assured her with a smile.

-----------

"That was humiliating," Jed muttered as he wiped his face with the tissue Abbey had just handed him.

"I'm sorry," Abbey said softly as she motioned for him to scoot over a little so she could sit down on the edge of the bed.

"It's not your fault," Jed said as he tried to turn on his side a little. Abbey stuck a pillow behind his back to steady him as he tried to get comfortable. She folded his pajama bottoms and tossed them on a nearby chair. "Does that mean I'm naked?" he smirked as he pointed at the pajama bottoms.

"No," Abbey laughed. "You have boxers on," she assured him with a smile. They sat in silence for a few minutes, neither one in the mood to talk. "Come in," Abbey called out as someone knocked lightly on the door.  
Dennis stuck his head in and Jed waved him in the room.

"Do you want to do this, or shall I?" Dennis asked as he glanced at Abbey and held up a syringe of Compazine.

"You can do it Dennis," Jed answered. Abbey stepped aside while Dennis gave Jed the injection.

"I'll be next door if you need anything," Dennis said as he left the room.

----------

The combination of pure exhaustion, Compazine and the lack of having to get up and use the bathroom every half hour served Jed well and 8 hours later he was still sound asleep. Abbey had stayed with him most of the time, only leaving his side long enough to stretch her legs a little. She also managed to get a few hours sleep herself.

As the plane hit a bit of turbulence Abbey's eyes shot open. She glanced at the bed, only to find Jed still asleep, snoring away. She pressed a hand to his forehead, hoping to find his fever had dropped. While he felt marginally cooler she wasn't very impressed. A quick check with the ear thermometer gave her a reading still over 101.

"Ma'am," Curtis said softly from the doorway.

"Hi, Curtis. You can come in," she said when it was clear the young man was waiting to be invited. 

"Leo McGarry is on the phone. He would like to speak to you. Should I have the call routed in here?"

"No, I'll take it in the bedroom. Would you stay with him?"

"Certainly ma'am," Curtis answered politely.

"Thank you," Abbey said as she slipped on her shoes. "And Curtis, you can take off the jacket and tie," she teased as she patted him on the shoulder as she left.

"Yes, ma'am," Curtis said with a smile. He slipped off his jacket and tie, tossing them on the chair in the corner. He undid the top two buttons on his shirt and settled down in the chair by the window to read a magazine. Like most of the others who had spent time sitting at the bedside of Jed Bartlet, Curtis found it hard to actually concentrate on reading. Instead he found his attention drawn to the man asleep in the bed. Even the peacefulness of sleep didn't erase the circles under Jed's eyes or the lines of pain and worry on his forehead. The IV line snaking out from under the sheet and the blood pressure cuff sitting on the table also served as reminders of Jed Bartlet's current situation.

As Curtis sat and watched Jed Bartlet sleep he thought about just how surreal the whole situation seemed to him. How much his life had changed in a mere three weeks. As he picked up the magazine in another futile attempt at reading the plane hit a particularly large pocket of turbulence. Jed's eyes shot open and he made every effort to sit himself up.

"Sir, stay still," Curtis said as he tossed the magazine aside and reached to keep Jed from falling off the bed. More than a little disoriented, Jed was less than cooperative as his body man tried to settle him back down. An announcement from the cockpit alerted everyone to expect more turbulence but Curtis ignored it as he was still trying to keep Jed from launching himself off the bed.

"Sir, you're going to fall," Curtis said, warning his boss in the same tone his older sister used with her 5 year old son.

"Let me go."

"No, sir."

"What the hell?"

"Turbulence sir."

"Where's Abbey?"

"The bedroom. If you'd stay still for a minute I could get her."

"Owww."

"Don't pull on the IV, sir," Curtis said as he grabbed Jed's left hand to make sure the IV was still in place.

"I have to get up."

"No sir."

"I don't feel..."

Jed didn't quite have time to finish his sentence before he started to throw up. "SHIT," Curtis muttered as he sat Jed up as best he could with one hand as he reached for the trashcan with the other. But as the plane hit another pocket of turbulence the trashcan became airborne, clipping Curtis in the chin as it sailed to the other side of the room.

"MICHAEL!" Curtis yelled at the top of his lungs. Michael stuck his head in the door, did a one second assessment of the situation and raised his wrist to call for a little backup. The backup came in the form of Abbey and Milly as Dennis was on the phone with Leo, keeping the White House informed of what was going on with the President.

"Good Lord," Abbey muttered as she took a look around. "Get me some towels," she called to nobody in particular. "What the hell did he drink?" she muttered as she pulled the sheet off of Jed's lap. 

"Blue Gatorade," Curtis muttered as he tried to wipe away the blood from his chin. Milly tossed a clean sheet over Jed as Abbey unhooked the IV, slipped off his shirt and wiped his face.

"What happened to you?" Milly asked as she handed Curtis a washcloth for his chin.

"Trashcan went airborne during that last bump," he explained as he motioned for Michael to sit next to Jed so he could get cleaned up.

"Let me see," Milly said as she steered the young man into the nearest chair. Milly pulled away the washcloth and took a quick look. The cut wasn't long but it was deep and would require more than a Band-Aid and a lollipop.

"Wow," was the only thing Dennis could say as he opened the door and surveyed the mess before him.

"Have you sutured anyone lately?" Milly asked Dennis, who just shook his head. "Great. Do we have Dermabond onboard?"

"I think so. Let me go look," Dennis said as he disappeared. Meanwhile CJ and Toby had appeared in the doorway and were standing there looking as if they wanted to walk away but couldn't quite get their feet to move.

"CJ, go into the bedroom and see if you can find Jed a t-shirt," Abbey called over her shoulder. CJ hurried down the hallway, leaving Toby lurking in the doorway. "OK, everyone take a deep breath, again. And then someone tell me what in the world is going on," she said as a frustrated laugh escaped her lips.

"The turbulence woke him and he was a little disoriented. Keeps trying to get up, even though he can't exactly get very far," Curtis explained as he continued to press the washcloth against his chin in an effort to stop the bleeding. "He started to get sick, I grabbed the trashcan, we hit a bump, it went flying, along with other things," he said gesturing towards where a steward was cleaning up the floor next to the bed. "And that's about it," he said with a sigh.

"Isn't that enough?" Abbey deadpanned with a wink.

"It's just plenty," mumbled Curtis.

"I would imagine. Why don't you go let Dennis or Milly fix you up? We'll be fine," she assured him as Curtis had a look on his face that made her think he wouldn't leave Jed's side easily. Three weeks on the job and he'd already picked up on Charlie's habits.

Twenty minutes later Curtis was resting on the couch in Jed's office. Milly had used the Dermabond to close the wound on his chin, given him an ice pack, 2 Tylenol and an order to stay still for an hour or so.

With the help of CJ, Dennis and a few agents, Abbey had gotten Jed cleaned up and settled into his own bed in the family quarters. At first he had protested over the idea of being moved from where he was, but as he needed to be cleaned up and the bed needed new sheets Abbey convinced him to just let the agents help him into bed in their quarters. When she was sure the IV and catheter lines were situated, Abbey went to take a quick shower to clean up while Milly took a turn "babysitting" as Jed had begun calling it.

"Can you hand me the Gatorade?" Jed asked as he pointed towards the bottle sitting on the desk.

"Actually asking for something to drink?" Milly teased.

"Shut up."

Milly watched as Jed flipped through the channels at lightning finally settling, not surprisingly, on CNN. The sound was turned down low so she wasn't really paying attention to what was on the screen. It wasn't until a small choking sob escaped from Jed that she turned her attention towards the screen. She just caught the last bit of a report on Jed's current situation, complete with a photo from China taken when Jed was in the wheelchair.

"Hey, how about we turn that off?" Milly suggested as she sat on the edge of the bed and held out her hand for the remote. Jed reluctantly handed it to her and wiped his eyes with the corner of the sheet. "The steroids making you pretty weepy?" Jed could only nod. "It's normal, don't worry about it."

"Don't worry about it?" Jed muttered with a snort. "I'm stuck in bed, with tubes running in and out of me, I just puked all over my new body man and I feel like I'm going to burst into tears at any minute," he sighed as he collapsed back against the pillows.

"Feel better getting that out, Babe?" Abbey asked from the doorway of the bathroom.

"Leave me alone, both out you, just GET OUT," he said loudly. Although the voice was loud there was a teasing tone which wasn't missed by neither Abbey nor Milly.

"Fine, you don't have to yell," Milly teased right back. "I'll be back later."

"Yeah, yeah," Jed muttered from the bed. "Hey, you forgot something," he called as she stepped out into the hall. Milly looked around, she hadn't brought anything with her so she couldn't imagine what he was talking about. "You forgot to kiss me on the forehead like I was some little kid," Jed smirked. Milly laughed and crossed the room to plant a loud, smacking kiss on his forehead. "Now get the hell out of here," Jed said as he waved her off.

"Yes, sir."

"Feel any better?" Abbey asked as she sat down on the bed next to Jed.

"I don't know. Not really, just a little..."

"Hyped up on steroids?" Abbey guessed as she watched him fidget.

"Yeah," Jed muttered as he pushed back the covers, unable to make up his mind whether he was hot or cold. "I can't get comfortable," he whined with all the maturity of a 5 year old.

"Here," Abbey said as she held his head up a little so she could pull the pillow out and turn it over to the cool, dry side. "Better?"

"I guess," Jed muttered as he turned onto his side, facing away from Abbey. She stretched out next to him, wrapping her arm around his chest, pulling him towards her. He squirmed in her embrace until she reluctantly moved her arm, but not before pressing her hand against his forehead. His fever was still up but she didn't automatically reach for the thermometer, the exact temperature wasn't important, getting it down was.

"Can you swallow some Tylenol?" Abbey asked as she sat up.

"I'm not a child," Jed asked as he rolled over onto his back to glare at his wife. Abbey took a deep breath, nodded and got up to get some out of her bag. Much to Jed's displeasure it did take him quite a few tries to get the pills down. But the thought of an alternate route of administration led him to take one last try getting them down with a minimal amount of gagging.

"What do you want to do?" Abbey asked as put the bottle of Gatorade on the bedside table and knelt down so she was eye level with her husband. His answer was the expected shrug of the shoulders. Abbey tentatively reached out to brush back his hair a bit, hoping her touch wouldn't be refused again. It wasn't and as Jed leaned into it she saw tears spring to his eyes, surprising both of them. "Oh Jed," she sighed as she stood up and walked around the bed to once again pull him into her arms. 

"Is this it?" Jed asked as he leaned against her, trying to get as close as he could.

"Is it what?"

"The end. Should I go home and resign?"

"No, why would you say that?"

Jed's replied was a shrug of the shoulders.

"Josiah Edward you do not need to go home and resign. By the time we get home you could walk off of this plane."

"Do you really think that's going to happen?"

"Answer me Abigail."

"No."

"Then we get another picture of me being taken off of the damn plane in the arms of...of..."

"Curtis."

"Is that his name?"

"Yes, Jed."

They were silent for a few minutes and Abbey was beginning to think Jed had drifted back to sleep, or was at least starting to settle down again. The feeling of hot tears hitting her collarbone alerted her otherwise.

"Honey?"

"Jed, what's wrong?"

"I don't know."

"Are you in pain?"

"No."

"Are you going to be sick?"

"No."

"What?"

"I can't stop."

"Stop what?"

"Crying."

"It's the steroids. They wreak havoc with your emotions. It's normal."

"Being the President of the United States and being unable to stop crying like a 2 year old is not normal, Abigail."

"If you're the President and you've been on steroids for 5 days, yes it is."

"You're not helping."

"Tell me what to do."

"I don't know. Just hold me."

"Always, Jed, always."

Abbey figured that trying to get Jed to talk about whatever was bothering him was pretty futile as she was sure he didn't really know what was wrong. And like she had tried to convince him, that was perfectly normal under the circumstances. The sobbing eventually slowed before ending with an occasional hiccup or sniff. Abbey had hoped he would just fall back to sleep but the steroids were doing an effective job of keeping him from relaxing. There really wasn't much that could be done; she didn't really want to resort to sedating him as she wasn't really up for that fight.

She did give in and let him turn on the television when he promised to watch a movie and avoid the news channels. But the process of actually deciding what he wanted to watch proved to be more trouble than it was worth and Abbey eventually just clicked the television back off with a frustrated sigh. She walked to the overstuffed chair in the corner to sit with a magazine, leaving Jed to try and settle himself down. She couldn't help but think back to the times when her girls were infants and out of frustration she would let them try to calm themselves down enough to drift off to sleep. She would sit in the antique rocker in the corner of the nursery and wait. Now she sat waiting, not for an infant to settle down, but for her 62 year old husband to do the same. Every time she had to help him with something she used to do for the girls when they were little was just another reminder of the uncertainty of things to come.

With a sigh, Jed scooted down on the bed a bit, kicking the covers loose at the foot of the bed. "Can you take off my socks? My feet are hot," he said. Abbey just stared at him for a minute. "Hey, my feet are hot," Jed said with a grin as Abbey moved the covers out of the way and pulled off his socks.

"You feel my hands?" Abbey asked as she gently rubbed his feet. Jed could only nod as the weepy effects of the steroids took over and the tears started again. Abbey crawled up to the head of the bed and pulled her husband into her embrace. She brushed away his tears and rubbed his back.

"Hey, if I can feel my legs can I get rid of the damn catheter?" Jed asked with a hopeful look. Abbey pulled the covers back again and pressed her fingers along the length of Jed's legs. While he did admit that the sensation was not completely back to normal both he and Abbey were convinced that he could lose the catheter.

"OK, let me get a few things and I'll be right back," Abbey said as she slid her feet into her slippers.

"God, I don't know which was worse, getting it in or getting it out," Jed groaned as he did his best to curl up into a ball on the bed. Abbey just laughed a little and cleaned everything up.

"Well, since I'm in doctor mode let me check a few things," she said as she grabbed her bag of the chair in the corner.

"Time to play doctor?" Jed asked with a leer.

"Yeah, you're way too hyped up right now," Abbey smirked. She gave Jed the quick once over and jotted down her findings on Dennis' notepad. "OK, blood pressure is back up to normal and your pulse is better, so the fluids are helping. But you're still running almost 101 and your throat looks pretty bad."

"Yeah, it hurts. Can I try and walk?"

"Jed, you've been off your feet for 5 days. Give it a few more hours. Besides, Milly sent Curtis to your office to get some sleep and I think Dennis is taking a well deserved nap too."

"Why is Curtis napping in my office?" Jed asked.

"You don't remember what happened before?" Abbey asked.

"I remember throwing up. On him probably. What else did I miss?"

"When he grabbed the trash can for you to use the plane hit some turbulence and the can flew up, clipping him in the chin. Milly had to fix it with Dermabond. And obviously he's just plain exhausted from the trip."

"Wow, not sure how I missed that," Jed wondered as he rubbed his own chin.

"You were a little busy puking and being disoriented then," Abbey said with a grin. Jed just nodded. "So, how about trying to eat something. I can't remember the last time you actually ate. How about I track down some ice cream?" Abbey offered.

"Yeah, that sounds good."

"Can I trust you to stay in bed while I got to get ice cream?" Abbey asked warily. Jed flashed her a big grin and crossed his heart.

----------

As the flight wore on and Jed improved steadily, the mood of most of the others on the plane didn't. Somewhere over the midwest CJ and Toby were at each other's throats about anything and everything. While stretching her legs, Abbey found the two of them arguing but she couldn't quite figure out what it was about even after she'd listened from the hall for a few minutes. She had the feeling that they probably didn't really know what they were fighting about either; they were just both in the mood to argue.

"Need a referee?" Abbey muttered dryly as she walked into the room. Both CJ and Toby stopped in mid-rant, stumbling and mumbling apologies. "No need to apologize," Abbey assured them as she sat down. Toby and CJ sat down too, following protocol.

"How's the President?" CJ asked a minute later, beating Toby to the question.

"Better. He's gotten some feeling back in his legs and his temperature is slowly falling. So far he's kept down some ice cream and a little Gatorade. He'll need to have some tests done in the next day or so but I don't think we'll need to go rushing off to Bethesda the instant we land. He'll be better off sleeping in his own bed tonight...tomorrow night...I honestly have no idea what day it is," Abbey sighed with a grin.

"That's good news Mrs. Bartlet," CJ said sincerely.

"CJ, after all that's happened on this trip, I'm Abbey," she teased. Toby glanced back and forth between the two women, more than a little confused about what Abbey meant by her statement.

"I'll explain it later," CJ said with a grin of her own.

"If you two want to go back and see him, I think he's awake."

Both CJ and Toby took her up on her offer and headed towards the family quarters.

"Claudia Jean and Mr. Grumpy Pants, coming to see if I'm still alive? Make sure I haven't been replaced with a wax replica?" Jed said, rather loudly.

"The steroids make him a little hyper," Abbey explained as she glared at her husband to "behave".

"Abbey said you're feeling better sir," Toby said as he stood uneasily in the doorway to the bedroom.

"You can come all the way in the room Toby, I'm not contagious," he said with a grin.

"Sorry sir," Toby muttered as he suddenly found his unpolished wingtips very fascinating. CJ dragged him into the room and steered him towards a chair. She took a seat at the desk chair. Abbey excused herself to let her husband have some time alone with his staff.

Fifteen minutes later Toby tracked Abbey down, as Jed was asking for her.

"What's up?" she asked as she came in the room, surprised to see he was alone.

"Is Curtis awake?"

"I just saw him getting something to eat. You need him for something?"

"Uh, yeah," Jed muttered as he pointed in the direction of the bathroom.

"Oh, ok. I'll have Michael get him," Abbey said as she stuck her head out the door to talk to the agent. While Michael went to find Curtis, Abbey disconnected the IV but left the port in for the time being.

"You need some help sir?" Curtis asked politely when he appeared a few minutes later.

"Yeah, the feeling in my legs is coming back and I'd like to try walking to the bathroom," Jed replied with a smirk.

"Yes sir. How would you like to do this?"

"In a way that doesn't involve me taking a header in the toilet would be preferable," Jed said dryly. Abbey rolled her eyes at him and helped him sit up and dangle his legs over the side of the bed. "Yeah, I think I'll stay like this for a minute," Jed whispered as he took a deep breath to push back the wave of dizziness that had suddenly made an appearance. Abbey got a cool damp cloth from the bathroom and put it on the back of Jed's neck for a minute while he tried to regain some sense of equilibrium. "OK, I'm ready to try," he eventually said.

Curtis moved to stand in front of Jed, in between his knees. "Sir put your hands on my shoulders and let me pull you to your feet."

"Slowly," Jed muttered as he tried to concentrate on deep, even breathing and staying conscious.

"Jed, you don't have to do this," Abbey reminded him.

"Yes, I do Abigail," he said with a tinge of Bartlet determination in his voice. He put his hands on Curtis' shoulder and on the count of 3 the young man grasped Jed's elbows and slowly pulled him to his feet.

"Just stand still for a minute, sir," Curtis suggested.

"I don't think I have much choice," Jed mumbled as he struggled to stay upright. "OK, how about each of you takes a side?" Abbey moved to Jed's left, while Curtis stood on his right side. It wasn't a fast walk across the room to the bathroom but Jed managed to do it both under his own power and without falling. "We've had enough bonding," Jed smirked in Curtis' direction. "She can take it from here," he said, giving Abbey a big smile.

"Yes, sir. I'll be in the hall if you need anything."

"Slow down Jed," Abbey warned him as he tried to wriggle out of the hold she had on his elbow. She reached to flip up the toilet seat and reluctantly let go of him when he proved he could stand upright.

"You don't need to watch, Abigail," Jed sighed. Abbey said nothing but went back out into the bedroom to get him some clothes. He wasn't thrilled that she left the door open but he couldn't reach it without taking a few steps so he just left it where it was, it wasn't like the door to the bedroom was open.

Jed managed to use the bathroom, wash his hands and brush his teeth. He was starting to sway just a little when Abbey came back into the room with some clean clothes for him. She grabbed onto his elbow with one hand and led him towards the bench built into the wall next to the sink. "You ok?" she asked as she reached to tip his chin up so she could get a good look at him. He was pale and shaky but didn't quite look like he was ready to pass out or throw up.

"Yeah, just give me a minute to sit. Can you get me something to drink?" Abbey grabbed him a bottle of water and sat down next to him, rubbing his back for a minute while he got his bearings.

"You ready to get dressed?"

"I think so."

"Good."

"Jeans and a sweatshirt?" Jed whined.

"You were expecting white tie?" Abbey snorted as she grasped the hem of Jed's t-shirt and pulled it over his head.

"A suit and tie is what I was expecting, Abbey," Jed said.

"No one on this plane is still in a suit and tie," Abbey pointed out. "Be thankful I got jeans and not sweatpants."

"Fine."

Fifteen minutes later Jed was dressed in jeans and a Notre Dame sweatshirt. He had wanted to walk to his office but Abbey vetoed that idea when he nearly fell leaving the bathroom. She deposited him on the loveseat in the corner and handed him his glasses and a book while she went to check on how much longer the flight would be.

"Back so soon," Jed muttered without looking away from his book as someone opened the door and entered the room.

"What? I've been gone for hours," Milly smirked from the doorway.

"Hey Doc," Jed replied as he set the book aside.

"You look a whole lot better Jed," Milly said with a smile. "Feel better?"

"Yes and no. I can actually feel both arms and legs, so that's good. I'm not attached to any tubes, thank God," Jed said with a grin. "But my head is pounding and my throat is killing me. And I'd like to get this out," he said, pointing towards the IV port still in his left hand.

"Well, we're just going to leave that in for now."

"Why?"

"Because it's easier to leave it in than it is to put in another one."

"You think I'll need it?" Jed asked as he turned sideways on the loveseat, pulling his feet up.

"I don't know. It really depends on if you can manage to keep down what you eat and drink. And how's that going so far?"

"Just dandy. Haven't gotten sick since I puked on Curtis. I think that kid needs combat pay for this trip," Jed mused.

"He sure does. I almost had to stitch him up."

"So I heard."

Jed and Milly talked for a little longer, until he started to fade. "Awake for 2 hours and I already need a nap," Jed muttered as Milly tossed a blanket over him and took off his glasses. To avoid being called back by him she kissed the top of his head and turned out the light before leaving.

Milly found Abbey sitting in a cabin with CJ, Kate and Toby. They all seemed to be in good moods, probably for the first time during the whole trip.

"Is he sleeping?" Abbey asked as she gave Milly a questioning look.

"Basically fell asleep mid-sentence," Milly answered as she collapsed in a seat and propped her feet up. "I told the agent to keep an ear out since he's in there alone."

"Thanks."

----------

For the remainder of the flight things went smoothly. Half an hour before they were set to land, Abbey went to talk to Jed about a few arrangements. Milly went along for moral support or backup, depending on how one looked at it. Jed started to stir when Abbey turned on the light.

"Hey," she whispered as she knelt next to him. "Have a nice nap?"

"Yeah. We still in the air?" Jed asked, still a little disoriented from just waking up.

"Another half an hour. You want to sit up and get your bearings. We need to discuss a few things with you."

"We?" Jed snorted as he noticed Milly standing in the doorway. "Double teaming me, ladies?" he teased as he put himself up to sitting.

"Not at all, sweetie. We just need to decide how to get you off this plane."

"Parachute works for me," Jed teased.

"Jed, you need to be serious for a minute," Milly scolded lightly.

Jed nodded. "What are my options?"

"They can get the hydraulic lift out, Curtis can carry you again or you can prove to us you're capable of navigating the stairs on your own."

"Option C it is," Jed said as he leaned forward a little, fully prepared to get upright under his own power.

"Whoa," both Milly and Abbey said as they took a step towards him and pushed him back down. 

"Not so fast," Abbey said. "Could we get some vitals, maybe put your shoes on?"

"If you must," he agreed. "But she gets to play doctor this time," Jed said as he pointed towards Milly. "Abbey can you get my staff together in my office? I'd like to speak to them before we land. I'm sure there are many, many things I need to apologize for."

"OK, I'll meet you in your office in a few minutes," Abbey said as she headed out of the room.

"You ok, Jed?" Milly asked as she sat down next to him.

"Yeah, I just hate when she has to play the doctor and the wife. It's too hard on both of us."

"That it is," replied Milly. "Push up your sleeve," she said, switching seamlessly into doctor mode. "OK, here's the deal," Milly started a few minutes later as she put everything back in her bag. "Blood pressure and pulse are normal, temp is still 100.8 and your throat is very red and swollen. When you get back home it's going to be a round of antibiotics for that and possibly a tapering course of oral steroids. You need to take it easy for the foreseeable future. Plenty to drink and no more 20 hour days. Listen to your body Jed, I mean it," Milly warned.

"Yes ma'am," Jed said with a little salute. "Can you please take this out now?" he whined as he held up his left hand.

"Fine, but don't whine to me if it needs to be put back in," Milly agreed. She pulled the tape off, slipped out the IV port and grabbed a piece of guaze to stop the bleeding. "Press down for a minute," she said as she realized she didn't have a Band-Aid in her bag.

"There are some in the bathroom," Jed said. 

"Sponge Bob or Harry Potter?" Milly asked with a grin.

"You have to be joking," Jed groaned.

"Nope, Abbey must have gotten them for Gus or something. I can run to the infimary and get a plain one," Milly offered.

"Don't bother. I'll take Sponge Bob," Jed muttered. Milly put it on, found Jed's sneakers under the bed and handed them to him. His right hand wouldn't cooperate enough to get them tied so Milly knelt down to do it for him.

"OK, ready to get up on your feet?" Jed just nodded. She took him by the hand and helped him up. After standing for a minute to get his bearings Jed started down the hall under his own power. His stride was neither graceful nor speedy but he was doing it on his own. His arrival at his office was met with a round of applause, which he put an end to quickly. He took his seat behind the desk while motioning for everyone else to also take their seats. In his own roundabout way he apologized for how things had gone during the trip. Everyone assured him that an apology was not needed but he gave one anyway. He wanted his staff to know their efforts at helping the situation had not gone unnoticed. That no matter how crabby he had been, deep down he would always be grateful for their support and understanding.

As the pilot announced their impending arrival at Andrews he cleared the room, choosing to be alone with his thoughts during the final descent. As he looked out the window he crossed himself and prayed, for healing, for guidance and in thanksgiving for all that he had been given.

As the wheels touched down and the plane came to a stop he brushed back the errant piece of hair and undid his seatbelt.

"Are you ready sir?" Curtis asked as he appeared in the doorway.

"Yes, son, I am," Jed assured him with a smile. Curtis hung in the doorway as Jed stood up.

"Are you sure sir?" Curtis asked as Jed's steps seemed very tentative. Jed nodded and grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair. Throwing it on over his head he followed his body man out of the office. They did a trial run on the stairs inside the plane. Jed did fine and Abbey gave him the thumbs up to leave the plane under his own power. As he made his way towards the door to the aircraft his steps became steadier and more sure. He stood in the doorway, waving at the people gathered below. He could make out Leo and Josh at the bottom of the stairs and he gave a quick wave as he gathered his strength. "It's not too late to change your mind sir," Curtis reminded him.

"I can do it," Jed assured him. "Just stay close. So you can break my fall," he added with a grin.

"One scar per trip is my limit sir," Curtis teased as he pointed towards his chin.

"OK, enough small talk, let's get going."

Jed stepped out onto the landing of the stairs. He gave one final wave before grasping the railing and slowly starting his descent. Above him, Abbey held her breath as she watched him go. She'd hung back on purpose, knowing he would have never changed his mind with her by his side, even if he knew he wasn't up to tackling the stairs. He was as stubborn, if not more so, as the day they married over 30 years ago. His pride, unfortuately, often got in the way of common sense. And she was worried with his apparent decline his stubbornness would get him into more trouble than usual.

She let out of huge sigh of relief as he final made it to the tarmac. A large round of applause started from the crowd and made its way onto the plane as well. Jed took a minute to rest, wiping a hand across his brow as Leo and Josh made their way over to him. He shook their hands and waved them off as he turned around to look for Abbey. She gave a wave and all but ran down the steps and into his arms. Leo and Josh quickly retreated to give them as much privacy as two people could have on the tarmac of Andrews Air Force Base.

----------

Much to Jed's displeasure his arrival on American soil did not automatically signal an end to all of his problems, not that he realistically thought it would. But deep down he believed in the power of the phrase, "there's no place like home".

He muddled through a few meetings, made some phone calls and stumbled back to the Residence at what Abbey would deem a "normal" time. Already dressed in her pajamas she was waiting for him in doctor mode with her stethoscope around her neck and thermometer in hand. Too tired to even joke about how sexy she looked Jed all but collapsed on the bed. Abbey did a quick check of his vitals and got him to sit up enough to swallow a few Advil. She somehow managed to get him into his favorite pair of flannel pajamas and tuck him under the covers. By the time she'd brushed her teeth she figured he would already be out like a light so she was quite surprised to find him still awake when she crawled next to him.

"Do you remember what I said last year?" he asked as he scooted over a little closer to her.

"Jed, I don't remember what you said this morning," she teased. But as she glanced at her sleepy husband she realized it wasn't the time for teasing.

"About how there will be no syringe in the nightstand. And that things will get ugly and that's how it's going to be."

"I remember," Abbey whisperered as she pulled her hand out from under the blankets to brush back his hair a bit.

"I want you to promise me something, about when things are getting "ugly"."

"What's that, honey?"

"That you'll let somebody else be the doctor, you be the wife," Jed said with an urgency in his voice that brought tears to both of them.

"Whatever you want, Jed. I swear, I will be whatever you want," she promised as she leaned forward to rest her forehead against his.

"Thank you," Jed whispered in a weary voice. He snuggled into Abbey's embrace and she thought about that night the previous December. It had been the night of the tree lighting. A night of family bickering and misunderstandings. But at the end of that night she'd come to a conclusion, one she had spent the past year trying to live by, that whatever time she had left with Jed was a gift not to be taken for granted. And like that night she once again prayed for understanding, guidance and healing.

THE END 


End file.
